Mueez Ajao
– Graham Potter said “the hits keep on coming” after Joao Felix was sent off on his Chelsea debut as the Blues slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Fulham on Thursday.
– Felix was thrown straight into the starting lineup just a day after completing an €11million loan move from Atletico Madrid and looked lively before lunging into a reckless 58th-minute tackle on Kenny Tete with the score level at 1-1.
– Chelsea’s injury problems deepened as Denis Zakaria was forced off with a quad problem on a night when the Blues slipped to their seventh defeat in 10 matches across all competitions, heaping further pressure on Potter.
Also Read: Debuting Felix sees red as Fulham put Chelsea into more misery
– Felix will now be banned for three matches, and speaking about his dismissal, Potter told BT Sport: “There’s a reaction from the side and it was a forward’s tackle, there was no malice in it and I don’t think he got too much of the player, but I understand why he’s been sent off. It is another blow.
– “The hits just keep coming at the moment. He was really good, you could see his quality in the game, so it is doubly disappointing for us.
– “It is tough. I feel for the supporters, the players and for everybody connected with the club. It is a tough moment for us.”
🗣️ “All of them will be learning moments. João [Félix] is a young, top player. You can see his quality and what he brought to the game. He’ll learn from it.”
Graham Potter on João Félix’s Chelsea debut. 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/i0QYxphcXp
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 13, 2023
– Former Chelsea winger Willian opened the scoring with a deflected 25th-minute shot before Kalidou Koulibaly equalised two minutes into the second period.
– After Felix received his marching orders, Andreas Pereira swung over a cross from the right which Kepa Arrizabalaga misjudged, allowing Carlos Vinicius to head the winning goal into an empty net.
– “I never like to speak about individuals when we lose, but the [second] goal itself is a frustrating one from our perspective,” Potter said.
– “I didn’t think they were putting us under too much pressure even though they had an extra man. It was a bit of a soft goal to concede, and that is something that we have to do better with.
– “I can understand the fans are frustrated that we’ve lost. I made sure I went over and clapped them because we appreciate their support. It is not easy. We are suffering, they are suffering. We feel for them and I think it is important we stick together and try and get through this tough period.”
🗣️ “I can understand that they’re frustrated because we’ve lost, that’s normal. I made sure I went over and clapped them because you appreciate the support. It’s not easy. We’re suffering, they’re suffering.”
Graham Potter says he appreciates the support from Chelsea fans. 🔵 pic.twitter.com/dfpTDaeeIX
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 13, 2023
